The pioneers of Spiritualism, and before them countless mystics and philosophers, have preached this understanding of the nature of God. I first encountered the immanence of God many years ago following a regression that took me to Amsterdam and the time of Spinoza. As the regression unfolded I saw myself in Amsterdam in the mid to late 1600s. The facilitator asked me where I went to church and I responded that I did not go to church. The facilitator insisted that I must be a Calvinist or another protestant sect and asked that I walk by the church that must be in the town. As I approached the church I turned away and pulled my shawl more closely over my head. “I do not go to church; I am Jewish”! The facilitator than stated “there are no Jews in Amsterdam”! Well from somewhere within my knowingness I shouted; “Spinoza is here”! My grandmother from the spirit side of life then physically took my hand and led me from the building. How I arrived home I have no idea but I recall wondering “what is a Spinoza”? I thought it might be a piano. At home, my trusty encyclopedia then introduced me to Baruch Spinoza. I saw that Spinoza was indeed Jewish. Spinoza was the son of Jews escaping the inquisition in Portugal. These conversos/marranos (Jews who voluntarily or forcefully convert to Christianity) eventually arrived at the safety of Amsterdam where Spinoza was born in 1632. Spinoza was eventually shunned by the Jewish community for his philosophies concerning the nature of God. Spinoza was known as a free thinker who preached the Immanence of God. That God is infinite and we are all connected and all part of the one substance which is in itself and through itself conceived and whose knowledge does not depend on the knowledge of any other thing. Up to that point I had only enjoyed my grandmother’s religion, but with this regression I slowly over the years began a more thorough research of spiritualism. I saw that our pioneers had obviously studied and accepted much of Spinoza. I finally became “a card-carrying spiritualist”! As we look at each truth expressed in the Immanence I am intrigued and delighted with the wisdom of our pioneers. If we could fully realize the immanence we would have no need for religion for all persons would realize (make real) that in a world where God is everywhere present there is no separation; there is no judgement. There is no need to search; there is only life in all its beauty. Sadhguru tells us that religions only exist because people don’t experience the creator within them. Self-realization is knowing that we are as much a part of God as is all of nature and as such we are indeed connected for there is nowhere else to be. We are one and what we do for one we do for all and what we deny others we deny ourselves. For this reason, the entrance to Delphi in Greece states “know thyself”! To know thyself is to know God. Our road to self-realization, or enlightenment, or greater understanding, is hampered only by our fear, our guilt, and in some instances by our lack of compassion. Our path is clouded by any action or way of living that does not wish well-being for all of nature. We must include all of life! Letting go of these self-defeating energies opens our way and lightens our load. Much like unloading what is unnecessary from our luggage on a vacation. And it is all up to us…….to let go and let God. If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern. …wiliam blake

Spinoza preached that we are all part of the one substance we call God. We are one. We are one person having many different experiences and yet we are not the experience. In this physical world of duality, we experience a sense of motion physically and mentally and yet our God self remains immutable, unchanging, and everywhere present. Does this mean we do not enjoy the show? Of course, we enjoy life! It is the greatest show ever! Namaste! emmy chetkin